Meyer Lemon Bread Pudding

Welcome a new little jewel in the family – Meyer Lemon Bread Pudding – the newest little kitchen gem. Sunny bright lemon joins with the creamy classic comfort of bread pudding. Swaddled in a kitchen towel, the newest Bijouxs makes an appearance.

On recent warm, sunny spring day I had the joy of gathering for lunch with small group of friends to welcome a new little baby to the world. The bright sunny weather inspired a Meyer Lemon Bread Pudding, a simple, classic dessert.

The first step of this recipe is to make the Meyer lemon curd, this should be accomplished 1 –3 days ahead, so it is ready and waiting when you assemble the pudding.

Simple ingredients: a French baguette, milk, lemons, sugar and eggs are the basics needed for the recipe. Assembly is a breeze, bread slices are placed in the baking pan, spread with the Meyer lemon curd and the milk-egg-lemon mixture is poured on top and given time to rest to allow the bread to absorb the milk mixture. Of course, substitutions such as everyday lemons for the Meyers or a great-quality purchased lemon curd will still lend a lovely pudding.

The pudding bakes for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered where it then puffs and bakes to a wonderful golden brown. Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and perhaps some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Hi! I am planning to make this for brunch this weekend. I love anything with lemons. I have a question though; is the additional juice and zest in the assembly portion of the recipe a misprint? Thanks in advance.

Bijouxs writes

Hi Rhonda! Thanks for your question – I have updated the recipe instructions to help clarify. Both the lemon curd AND the milk-egg pudding mixture require lemon juice and lemon zest, per the recipe ingredients (the same amount of lemon juice & lemon zest is required both for the lemon curd & milk-egg pudding mixture – just the way the recipe worked out) Hope this helps please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you!

How does this not curdle the milk? With 1/3 up of lemon juice added to the milk, mine separated. Will this not matter in the end? Also, blueberries will make a good addition.

Bijouxs writes

Hi Sam! I know that temperature does have something to do with an acid, like lemon, causing milk to curdle – I made the custard mixture with cold milk and cold eggs (just out of the fridge) poured it over the bread and put back into the fridge – if the milk was warm or maybe even room temperature it may cause it to curdle (as it does when making ricotta cheese). You could try making it as is or redoing the custard – oh, the delicate science of food. Thanks for writing in and I am adding a note to the recipe and I really like your idea of adding blueberries!

If one decides to purchase the lemon curd instead of making it, how much would one need for this recipe?

Bijouxs writes

Hello Sue! If you are purchasing lemon curd, I would estimate about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of the lemon curd. You want enough to cover the bread slices with a layer of the lemon curd about 1/4 inch thick. There are some nice lemon curds in the markets, a great way to keep it simple! Enjoy and thank you for being a part of Bijouxs.

Hello Evelyne ~ Yes, I have made bread puddings with whole wheat bread and they can be delicious! With this Meyer Lemon Pudding, I think a whole wheat baguette would work fine, of course changing the overall color of the pudding slightly. If you do opt for a denser whole wheat bread the texture of the pudding may change, not quite as light, but what’s not to love with bread and Meyer lemon curd? Let us know. Thank you for being a part of Bijouxs!

Can the final product be put together one day in advance and refrigerated?

Bijouxs writes

Hello Joan – I have baked bread pudding the day before, refrigerated covered, then gently reheated covered at low-heat in oven (275°) just until warm. I don’t think I would make the bread pudding one day ahead unbaked, as the bread slices may begin to break up (think of French toast). The recipe goes together quickly, so I usually bake it, then reheat prior to serving the next day. Hope this helps!

I plan to make this for Christmas dinner dessert. I harvested a bushel of Meyer Lemons from my yard! Any suggestions for a sauce to pour over? Thanks

Bijouxs writes

Hi Kathy. How lucky you are to have a crop of Meyer lemons! I lost my wonderful Meyer lemon tree to a virus a few years ago. A couple sauce ideas I have for the pudding include a simple crème anglaise sauce (you can do a quick trick by just using melted really good vanilla ice cream) or maybe a bright, fresh raspberry sauce with fresh berries, sugar and water briefly cooked, then puree. Hope these ideas help! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from Bijouxs!

Hi. I’m looking at recipes because I have plenty of meyer lemons on my tree. Have you tried to use brioche or challah bread for it?
Thank you

Bijouxs writes

Hello Sandrine! Yes, I have made the pudding using different breads, brioche etc. I think it is a great idea! Depending on the kind of bread you use, the pudding will be a just bit richer and sweeter, esp. if using brioche. Wishing you a very Happy New Year and enjoy!

Hello! This sounds great and I just happened to make a few jars of lemon curd. I’m curious about how many cups of bread you would estimate your using? Or if you could estimate the size of the baquette? Mine here are pretty large and I can’t imagine a whole one sliced up and fitting in an 8×10 baking dish – maybe half of it. Just want to make sure I’m understanding correctly.

Hi Leslea! A standard French bread baguette is about 12-13 inches long x 3 inches wide, tapered at the ends. After removing the crust, I cut into 1 inch thick slices, then arrange enough of the slices to cover the bottom of the dish in one layer. You may not need the whole baguette, as the size of baguettes do vary! Hope this helps. Thank you and hope you enjoy!

I came across your website as I was looking for recipes for lemon cookies using Meyer Lemons. To my great surprise I found your recipe for Meyer Lemon Bread Pudding! I am a fan of bread pudding and I like the taste of lemons especially good lemons. I am going to be joining Bijouxs.:) I also like the fact that you have answered every comment or question, that shows me that you really care about what you are doing and the people who are following you. You have inspired me as i work through the process of wanting to open my own business and fulfill a dream someday soon. WELL DONE! Thank You, Thank You:)
Shirl

Hi Tamara. Sorry your question got lost – but, to answer, yes – you may have some lemon curd leftover. I spread about a 1/2 cup over the bread slices, but you can use a little more if you like. The good thing is bread puddings are pretty forgiving. Enjoy!

I made this recipe a couple days ago using lemon curd from the freezer that I had made a couple months ago. It was sooooo good! I followed the directions and used cold milk (raw, from a local farmer) and eggs (from my backyard hens) and had no issue with curdled milk. The recipe is so easy and it turned out so well. I did have to bake it about 15 min longer than it called for due to living in higher altitude. The lemon flavor was perfect. I topped it with raspberry sauce and mock clotted cream. My daughter and I ate the leftovers for breakfast today. Thank you, thank you, for such an amazing recipe. I will be making this again.